Former Wake County Republican Party Chairman Claude Pope isn't pinning most of the blame for the 2011 loss of the GOP majority on the Wake County school board on Democrats.

Instead, as noted in today's article in the Wilmington Star-News, "Pope says the Republicans lost the majority mainly because of intraparty discord among members of the board." Pope, now running for state Republican Party chairman, says he's hoping this kind of discord won't repeat itself at the statewide level.

The article doesn't go into detail on what the discord might be. But things you could point to include the fighting between Debra Goldman and her fellow Republican school board members.

The Wake County legislative delegation should expect to hear more today from people opposing bills that would change how Wake County school board members are elected and take away their control of school construction.

WakeUP Wake County is urging people to show up again like they did at the March 25 public hearing. The new hearing takes place before the Wake school board will discuss during Tuesday's work session supporting the current election districts instead of going to the ones in S325, the school board election bill.

With WakeUP Wake, the Great Schools in Wake Coalition and the Wake County Democratic Party urging people to show up March 25 to oppose the school bills, you can guess what the turnout was like. Here are some of the comments from the March 25 hearing.

Donna Williams has taken over for Susan Bryant as the new chairwoman of the Wake County Republican Party,

Williams, who unsuccessfully ran for the Wake County school board in 2011 against Christine Kushner, was elected at last week's Wake GOP convention. She called for unity after defeating Dale Cooke, who had also run unsuccessfully for Wake County Commissioner last year.

"As greatly successful as we were in 2012, imagine what we can do when the energy, heart, drive, and persistence demonstrated by both slates over the past 5 weeks is now united and refocused directly at our Democratic opposition," Williams wrote last week in the Elephant Express.

Her work includes, pending approval of S325, helping elect a new GOP majority on the school board next year and helping the GOP retain control of the county commissioners.

The Wake County Republican Party announced today that Tony Tata will be the keynote speaker at their convention on March 26.

Tata is still popular with many Republicans, as evidenced by being called "beloved to us as former Wake County School Superintendent" in today's issue of the Elephant Express. Tata, who some have speculated might seek elected office, is staying in the public eye as state Transportation Secretary.

"On Tuesday, we will have a fine convention; an inspiring keynote speech from General Tony Tata, a great public servant who has a great future ahead of him in our state," said outgoing Wake GOP Chairwoman Susan Bryant in the Elephant Express.

Tata will speak at 7 p.m. at the Kerr Scott Building. Ironically, that's the same time the Wake County school system will be holding a community forum to get feedback for its superintendent search.

Ir looks like former Wake County school board candidate Donna Williams could become the new charwoman of the Wake County Republican Party.

In the Elephant Express on Thursday, Wake GOP Chairwoman Susan Bryant announces that she's not seeking re-election to another two-year term. Bryant tells her fellow Republicans that being chair "requires high energy, creativity and new ideas" and that after two years as chair "you’ve received all I have of all those things."

"It’s time for new leadership, and personally, I hope you’ll support our enormously energetic First Vice Chair, Donna Williams to be the next Chair," Bryant writes.

The Wake County Republican Party is looking for candidates to run for the Wake County school board this year.

In the Elephant Express on Wednesday, Wake GOP Chairwoman Susan Bryant writes that "now it’s 2013, and we begin another election year…a critical election year for municipal elections and school board elections. And we know how important they are."

Later in the newsletter, Bryant writes that "we need anyone interested in running for any 2013 office to get in touch with our recruitment committee." She tells interested people to email Chairman@wakegop.org,

The Wake County Republican Party is officially staying silent on the recent political controversy over Wake County school board members Debra Goldman and Chris Malone.

The new issue of the Elephant Express released Thursday night is the first one sent since the news reports about the Goldman and Malone 2010 police report. The only mention of the two in the Wake GOP e-newsletter is in the list of the 2012 candidates running for office with Goldman for state auditor and Malone for the state House 35 seat.

The newsletter also contains a link to the radio spot that will air for Wake County Board of Commissioner candidates Paul Fitts and Dale Cooke. The spots talk about "focusing education policy on student achievement versus diversity numbers games."

Last week's firing of Wake County Schools Superintendent Tony Tata drew a variety of responses ranging from praise to condemnation.

For instance, Wake County Republican Party Chairwoman Susan Bryant called it "shameful, absolutely shameful." Two members of District 8 Board Advisory Council — Beth Shugg and Julea Danielson — resigned last week in protest of the firing.

But the leadership of the state NAACP, in a Wednesday press release, said they "commend the Wake County Board of Education for the poise and grace with which they handled the difficult issues raised by Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata's performance as Superintendent of the Wake County Public School System."

Will a likely one-week delay in the vote to fire Wake County Schools Superintendent Tony Tata give enough time for his supporters to save his job?

As noted in today's article, it's really unlikely that any of the Republicans will agree today to amend the agenda to give the two-thirds majority needed to vote on Tata. This means the next time the board could act would be next Tuesday, when the Democrats would only need a simple majority.

Harvey Schmitt, president and CEO of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, said he was disappointed about the discussions of Tata’s departure He said that he has expressed concern to board chairman Kevin Hill and vice chairman Keith Sutton.

Add the Wake County Republican Party to those acting on the rumors that the Wake County school board could fire Superintendent Tony Tata on Monday.

In the latest edition of the Elephant Express sent today, Wake GOP Chairwoman Susan Bryant is warning that "the radical extremists who have taken over the Wake County School Board are preparing to fire our great Superintendent Tony Tata, and we have to do everything we can to stop them." She says she'll lead the Wake GOP in opposing next year's likely school bond issue if Tata is fired.

Bryant is charging that board members Susan Evans and Jim Martin are the ones out to get Tata. She urges people to contact the board members to support Tata and to also show up outside Monday's school board meeting.